


At the Heart of It

by Lieju



Category: Indiana Jones Series
Genre: Gen, also about colonialism, also europeans used to eat mummies for medicine and fun, idk a character piece
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23913469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lieju/pseuds/Lieju
Summary: ”It's an interesting claim you make, Jones, and one that you don't seem to be that willing to back up.”René Belloq and Indiana Jones have a conversation.
Relationships: Rene Belloq&Henry "Indiana" Jones
Kudos: 7





	At the Heart of It

Indiana stepped into the room. He had wanted to see the exhibition first-hand.

He walked to the glass case at the back of the room. He leaned in close, almost touching the glass, staring into the empty eyes of the mummy.

This was the same mummified princess he had uncovered in a tomb in the Andes, he was certain of it.

The same find that had shortly afterwards been stolen from him by-

”Here to visit an old acquaintance?”

Indy turned to face the other man. ”Belloq!”

Belloq walked to the exhibit, joining Indiana.

Indiana eyed the Frenchman. His posture was relaxed... The museum was almost empty at this hour but Belloq didn't look like he was planning for an ambush. A good thing as Indiana had left his gun at home. However he wasn't about to turn his back on Belloq.

”I have never seen a mummy from this time period that was this life-like,” Belloq said. ”The environment of the tomb must have kept her well preserved.”

”True.”

”I would love to get a better look at her insides,” Belloq continued, eyes still on the mummy. ”There are some very interesting advances being made in non-invasive radi-”

”What is this all about?” Indiana interrupted him.

Belloq turned to face him. ”What exactly?”

”How did the mummy end up in the museum?”

Belloq raised an eyebrow. ”They bought it. You yourself would have sold it to them, no? I believe you even got an advance for it?”

”To fund the expedition. And you know what I mean. I know for a fact Lord Everett-Green was looking to buy.”

”This is true.”

Belloq turned to face Indiana now, his attention fully on the American archaeologist. Indiana somewhat got the feeling he was evaluated and inspected now with similar attention Belloq had directed on the mummy just a few moments before.

“He would have paid much more than a struggling museum,” Indiana pointed out. “So how come this thing isn't on his mantelpiece right now?”

”His plate, more like it. The man is a lunatic, he is dying and grasping at straws. Got convinced by some so-called doctor the power of mummies could heal him.”

Indiana made a face. ”Ah. Am I meant to believe even _you_ found that distasteful?”

And unreadable expression flashed on Belloq's face. ”You and I are not that different. This all is proof, no? You wanted to bring her to this museum, I wanted to bring her to this museum, it seems for once this is a happy ending for both of us.”

”I wanted to bring her here because people deserve to see her! A magnificent find like this belongs in a museum.”

”'Belongs'” Belloq scoffed, the quotation marks hanging heavy in the air. ”I think you find that not everyone agrees on this. We both had trouble with the local tribes when retrieving the mummy, I'd like to remind you.”

Indiana shifted uncomfortably. ”No one can prove they have the legal right to the find.”

”Legal right... I think you should have realized by now I care very little about what the law says. But one might argue they had some moral right to the remains of their ancestors, if anyone were able to claim a right over a historical find like this.”

”They were planning to bury her! Dig a hole and threw her back in. You can't be seriously suggesting the world should have been denied of- Think of everything we can learn from her!”

Belloq turned to look at the mummy once more. ”Yes... And here she lies now, in a climate controlled case.”

”Yes.”

”It's an interesting claim you make, Jones, and one that you don't seem to be that willing to back up.”

”What claim?”

”That a piece of history could belong to anyone.”

”It should belong to _everyone_.”

”I'm sure her descendants are happy to hear they can come visit grandma here any time they wish. Assuming they can find the money for the plane ticket.”

His tone was openly mocking now.

”Well too bad they couldn't afford your prices either,” Indiana spat. ”They could have bought her to do as they wished with then.”

”I am not trying to make a case for some people who might or might not be the descendants of her people. I am arguing that some claims you are making are _interesting_.”

Several questions circled in Indy's brain. He wasn't sure what the other man was getting at really. What eventually escaped his mouth was:

”Do you really care?”

Belloq gave him a look.

”You steal historical relics and sell them for the highest bidder. Do you actually care who the buyer is?”

”These things come around, Jones. True history doesn't belong to anyone and I refuse the absurd notion someone could claim true right for it by waving an official paper around. But true history is bigger than you or me. Today the beautiful timeless princess waits here where her body is kept from decay and she will reveal her secrets to the curious researchers ready to prod and poke at her. Eventually, perhaps, she will return to the mountains, or will be sold to a different museum. Human beings are merely spectators to history and in some cases stewards of the items that hold true significance. So then, what does it matter if I make some money shifting things around?”

”I'd say that sounds like a handy excuse to get rich off of theft if I actually believed you had any conscience to sooth.”

Belloq smiled. ”How did it feel, Jones? Opening up her tomb, finally, after all of your efforts and hard work in locating it? What was it like, staring her in the eye, knowing you were the first person to lay eyes on her in hundreds of years?”

Indiana didn't answer.

Belloq continued: ”You must have been joyous, no? Claiming the artifact? Giddy at the things you could learn about a dead culture? Excited at the chance to unearth something so unique-”

”I don't know what you think you're getting at here.”

”Greed, Doctor Jones. The desire to claim it for yourself if even for a moment, to hold history at the palm of your hand, the desire to _know_... Greed still lies at the heart of it.”

Belloq turned to leave. ”I am not 'getting at' anything as you put it. I am merely musing out loud. How perhaps, indeed people do make up handy excuses for themselves to justify the ways they satisfy their greed.”

”People will come and see these relics, here, at the museum,” Indiana hurried to say before the other archaeologist could leave, annoyed at himself for taking the bait when he didn't need to justify himself to someone like Belloq. ”Maybe it's not _perfect,_ but many of them will feel something. That awe of history and what can be learned of the past.”

Belloq turned to tip his hat before walking away. ”Well I am convinced. Of the purity of your quest.”

Indiana didn't reply.


End file.
